Chapter 38 Ares
ARES
As I go to shake George's hand, I have no doubt that's my father's handwriting and signature on that paper.
The fact he asked George to take over our port in Nafplio should anything happen to him—and he did—tells me that whatever relationship he and my father had, there was trust. So maybe I need to have some as well.
As soon as that thought forms in my mind, I realize that Katerina may have been right. Maybe. We'll have to see. Either way, I'll need to—
A sound I know all too well pulls me from my thoughts.
Bang.
The shot is quickly followed by my brother's scream.
I turn in the direction of the gunshot as my hand instinctively pulls my gun from its holster.
I fire the first shot, shooting someone right in the head who's moving through the window.
I shift my gun to another person trying to enter the clubhouse through a side door and fire again.
He jolts backward, and before I can see if I've killed him, someone cuts the lights, and I'm standing in total darkness.
More gunfire erupts and I drop to my knees, my gun pointing at quickly moving shadows. I yell for everyone to get down, but I really only mean it for one person.
I start firing at the figures pouring in from the windows and exits.
Fuck, it's a setup.
I turn around to see Dimitri, but I can't get a good look at him.
"Dimitri, are you hurt?" I call out over the gunfire.
"I'll live, but it burns like a motherfucker."
"Theo! Theo!" I yell. "Get Dimitri the hell out of here."
A bullet rushes past my ear and a warm trickle runs down my face.
I move quickly to my left and reach out for Katerina.
For the first time in my life, I feel as if my heart has left my body.
She's not here. She's gone.
"Katerina!" I yell. "Where are you?" I say and fire two more shots, my bullets lodging into the man's chest who was rushing me.
"Ares!" Katerina screams.
Fuck. I can't make out what direction she's in. It's too chaotic. Too many guns being fired. Too many people yelling.
"Katerina!" I call out, but she doesn't answer this time.
Someone runs past me and I jump out and grab them. We tumble to the floor and he punches me in the face. I lift his head up and slam it back into the ground.
He goes limp for a moment and I'm able to see his face. He's definitely not part of my crew nor the men that came with George.
"Where's my wife?" I say loud into the man's face, but he doesn't respond.
Suddenly one of my men approaches.
"Boss, we need to get you out of here," he says and grabs my arm.
I tug it away. "No! Find Katerina. Now!"
The man turns and fires in the direction of a loud crash. I turn to see a window explode, the curtains crashing to the ground, allowing more moonlight to come in.
I can get a better picture now.
It's mayhem. People running and firing everywhere.
But no Katerina.
Through the gunfire I hear tires screeching, and I get up and run toward the red taillights.
I aim at the car, but Theo grabs my hand and pushes it down. "She's in there."
"What?"
"They took her, Ares. Fuck, they took her," he says, panting.
I feel it again.
That ache in my chest, like my lungs are being ripped out of my body. The first time I ever felt it was the day I looked down at my father, covered in his own blood. And now, tonight, as I stare at those red taillights getting smaller and smaller, it's come back.
I do the only thing I can do.
I scream my own war cry into the darkness.
Suddenly, some lights in the clubhouse turn on and I turn and walk back inside.
"Ares, wait," Theo says, but I ignore him.
My gun is still in my hand and I'm going to find George Zervas and shoot him for setting me up and taking my wife.
I walk in and point my gun at George, whose back is to me.
"Wait, Ares," Dimitri says, holding up his good arm.
What remains of his men turn their guns on me, and my men do the same to them.
George turns around and I see he's shot in the arm, like Dimitri.
"Put that fucking gun down. It wasn't me," he says.
Shit. It would've been a hell of a lot easier if it were.
"Who?"
"I have no fucking idea. But I need to get to a hospital. So does your brother."
I nod and turn to the guy whose head I hit on the ground. He's out, but he's still breathing.
I walk over to him, holster my gun, and kick him.
"Hey, wake the fuck up, you piece of shit."
He groans and rocks from side to side.
I get down and grab him by the collar.
"Hey. Who the fuck are you?"
The man's talking nonsense and bleeding from his ears. I may have injured him more than I thought.
"Listen to me. Who sent you?" I say and slap him.
"Got her? We got her?"
My blood rises.
I know who her is.
I punch him. I can't restrain myself.
"Who fucking sent you?" I scream into his face.
"The Athenian Warriors say hi," he says and starts laughing.
"Son of a bitch," Theo says.
The man's laugh grows louder and louder and I snap.
I see red.
I slam the man's head back to the ground and start punching him repeatedly. Over and over. Breaking his cheekbone, knocking out teeth—I can't stop myself.
His laughter turns to gurgling and before I know it, Theo and one of my men are pulling me off him.
"He's dead, Ares. Stop, dammit, come on," Theo says in my ear. I look down and see something that resembles a face.
My adrenaline is flowing so strong I don't even feel the soreness my hands will undoubtedly feel after colliding with that much bone.
"I'll find her," I declare to the room, "Even if I have to carve a bloody path through every man in Greece."
"I'll give you whatever you need to get her back safely," George says to me, wincing. "You have my word."
I'm so worked up I'm buzzing. I can't stand still. I can barely even think clearly.
I am Ares Kastaris, named after a Greek god because I am one. The god of war, destroyer of men, and some prick just took my wife. I hope they prayed, because Greece has no idea the wrath I'm going to bring down to get her back.